Accumulator Stacks Big Bales Three High

Accumulator Stacks Big Bales Three High BALE HANDLING Bale Handling (31B) 27-6-28 This new tow-behind big bale accumulator hitches to the baler and fills up with a load of big bales, then automatically unloads the bales out the back. "It lets you group bales three high, which reduces time spent retrieving bales from the field by up to 75 percent," says Howard Moulson, Moulson's Welding, Foxwarren, Manitoba. The Wray Stacker was invented by farmers David and Don Wray of Russell, Manitoba. It's designed to handle 3 by 3 by 8-ft. bales (a unit for other size big bales is coming soon). The machine operates off tractor hydraulics and is equipped with a scissor hoist-operated "tilt table" on one side and a stationary table on the other side. The baler automatically ejects the bale onto the tilt table. The scissor hoist then raises the tilt table to a pre-determined height, and a hydraulic cylinder under the table platform tilts the bale 1/4 turn onto the stationary table. The procedure is repeated for the next two bales, with the tilt table rising higher each time. The second table is equipped with a 2-ft. tailgate on back. As soon as the three bales are in place, the tailgate is lowered to the ground and a kick-off arm then pushes all three bales gently onto the ground. A switch in the cab can be used to override the automatic ejection of the bales. For example, you don't want to eject the bales right away if you're going through a ditch or gully or making a turn. The machine rides on a pair of 15-in. wheels and hooks rigidly behind the baler, so when the baler turns it follows exactly behind the baler. "Conventional big bale accumulators place three bales flat on the ground and side by side. Our design lets you use standard loader-mounted forks to lift all three bales at a time with no need to rotate them. When loaded onto a semi trailer this way the three bales are exactly the right height for shipping," says Moulson. He notes that the company has recently added another switch that allows the operator to drop one bale and stack either two or three bales, if desired. He says he plans to soon offer an accumulator that will stack 4-ft. wide by 3-ft. high bales two high. Sells for $13,500 (U.S.). Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Moulson's Welding, Box 82, Foxwarren, Manitoba, Canada R0J 0R0 (ph 204 847-2227; fax 204 847-2392; website: www.moulsonswelding.com).

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